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E. Kalimantan names three H1N1 flu suspects
The East Kalimantan provincial Health Agency has announced Tuesday in Samarinda it had determined three people to be H1N1 flu suspects
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he East Kalimantan provincial Health Agency has announced Tuesday in Samarinda it had determined three people to be H1N1 flu suspects.
The head of the agency's disease control and environmental health, Yurnanto, said the three people - RH, 26 (a US citizen born in South Africa), a mother, Sa, 30, and Sa's eight-and-a-half-year old daughter, Ka - were currently in Balikpapan.
"The duty of the Balikpapan health agency is to trace their journey and whom they had came into contact during their stay in the region."
He added the agency would also work with the Balikpapan Port Health Agency (KPP) and the hotel management to disinfect the room in which RH had stayed.
RH is being treated at an isolation ward at the Kanudjoso Djatiwibowo Hospital since July 6, while Sa and Ka are receiving treatment at home, under the care and supervision of a medical team from the hospital and reference community health center.
RH was named an H1N1 suspect after having a high fever reaching 38 degrees Celsius following a trip to pandemic areas including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
He arrived in Jakarta on July 2 and in Balikpapan on July 3.
RH stayed at the SL hotel in Balikpapan.
Sa and Ka, on the other hand, were named suspects after making a contact with a person who had been positively infected with the H1N1 virus.
Ka, who is married to an Australian, and Sa just returned from Jakarta to meet her husband's relative who had been positively diagnosed with the H1N1 virus in Singapore.
"They promptly examined themselves at the hospital but insisted on returning home despite being named as suspects," Yurnanto said.
Hospital director Dr. Syafa Hanung said the hospital was waiting for RH's swab test results from the Health Ministry in Jakarta.
The provincial health agency, according to Yurnanto, would boost surveillance, especially human traffic from overseas at the Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan and the sea ports in East Kalimantan.
"We will work together with foreign airline companies to distribute health alert cards to passengers on board flights from Singapore to Balikpapan."
